Setting Up Ableton 12's New Browser: User Guide

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Ableton Live 12 is released March 5th and the improvements to the browser are incredible and complex. This guide will show you how you can take advantage of the tagging and filter system, place save searches in the library, and flex the sound similarity features. While this will take you a little bit of time, it is so useful and will save you hours and hours of time in the future. Each musician and producer who uses ableton will have different preferences and needs, this tutorial will show you how to customize your browser to optimize your workflow.
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[@engeomusic]

I had to test all the plugins I use in my live performances when you mentioned that you choose AUv2 over VST3. I haven't used any AU plugins since moving to M1. I did repeated stress tests to check performance between the two formats. (ie. play 10 Pigments poly patches simultaneously.) In all cases, the difference was repeatable but minimal (1-2%). For those of us who perform live with Live, that extra 1-2% could be the difference between a glitch or a crash and a smooth performance. For Arturia Pigments and Kilohearts plugins, AUv2 was the clear winner. For Melda, Valhalla and Minimal Audio plugins, VST3 won overall, with some Melda plugins performing slightly better in AUv2, but most in VST3. So, based on my very limited testing, I think its pretty developer specific as to whether a plugin is more optimized in AUv2 or VST3 format. You would think AU plugins would run more efficiently without the Steinberg VST wrapper, but supposedly some developers just wrap their VSTs in an AU wrapper. Anyway, great video as always! Auto sample tagging is definitely coming soon, it's only logical.

[@SeedtoStage]

Doing gods work here

[@FortyNightsMusic]

Can somebody clarify for me? Does Ableton use AU or VST? The website says it doesn't support VST plugins, only AU--- but I keep seeing people saying they're using VST's. Can you clarify?

[@rip-off749]

It would be surprising if the differences vary too much. VST/AU are just a layer or two of function calls between DAW and Plugin. So it should not really matter. If those 1-2% variation is what would push you over the edge to have a glitch then something else is wrong in your live set...

[@peacefulpigeon7254]

Thank you. Was getting my head around this - so useful after initial confusion! Cheers

[@Kkidzz]

Priceless… thx!

[@InnerMotionMusic]

Super helpful video. I've been on the Beta for about a month and enjoy some of the new features, but was _really_ missing the folders in the browser. I'm relieved to know that I can customize things to suit my workflow. Thanks for sharing!

[@Diddy0052]

Just upgraded from Ableton 11 suite to the 12 suite. Got into the 12-suite browser, that's when things got confusing. This tutorial by far is what I need to sort out those particular sounds, items, affects, etc., I use. Thank you so much, I can feel my headaches starting to go away. Thanks Seed, keep the tutorials coming.

[@psychotronicsquirtgun]

Thanks! This was very helpful!

[@bobphillips2341]

Like this concise style; just got course bundle thanks

[@KevinWheelerMusic]

I like the new features. Thank you for showing us!

[@in_10z]

Oh man this is just the jump start I needed to maximize the browser's new features. Thank you!!!

[@ChuckSilva]

Hugely helpful-thanks!!!!

[@scrutinyofthereptile666]

Great video, simply explained with practical use cases. Very useful, thanks.

[@DaveSchulze]

Excellent! Thanks again, Anthony, for simplifying it for me. You're my personal RTFM Robot!

[@FDBK4REAL]

This is a MASSIVE help. I had no idea about the saved searches feature. This will save me so much time and headache. Thank you kind sir! Amazing tutorial as usual 🙏🏼

[@tomelwich49]

I was just cursing the new browser, took a break and this clip popped up. Thank you Seed!

[@supernatural802]

same. This should be on abletons site.

[@rip-off749]

Yes some features are neat but I'd still love to have the chance to use the old structure and then invest the time to look into the new browser when I want and not when Ableton wants. It could have been an option: "Use legacy Browser" and then deprecate it a major version or two later.

[@billB101]

Thanks for the tips.

[@joechapman8208]

This video helps a lot, and it looks like it works when you're explaining it, but when I go to do it it's just ridiculously unintuitive. I already know I'm going to have to come back to this video repeatedly whenever I want to do this again. The UI fights me every step of the way and I cannot imagine why they designed it like this. They could have just hired a UI specialist to do this bit. And really, all they had to do was add some more colours to Collections like we've been asking in the Centercode since Live 10 came out.

[@BIG_PASTA]

Yup. The beta site has had hundreds of users complaining about it for months. The idea is cool but not implemented very well at all, causing a lot of headache that no one asked for.

[@RenoFriends]

THIS. I just need more color tags and thats all

[@Stormbringer512]

It's unusable in its current state, in my opinion. Staying with 11 until there's a preference setting to use the classic browser. I'm glad for the people who enjoy this change, but it's unusable for my workflow.

[@RenoFriends]

@@Stormbringer512 Totally agree

[@Rollinsonn]

@@Stormbringer512 I'm finding Saved Searches really convenient. although i did have to watch this video to figure out how to make them in the first place lol

[@supernatural802]

Fantastic explanation!

[@nicoincertezza5763]

uh weeee, learned a lot again. thanks!

[@outofill7954]

I was finding the browser hard to navigate, but thanks to this video, I love it now!!!

[@ianfreddy3804]

Rad. Thank you.

[@PeranMe]

Great stuff, thanks a lot! ❤

[@thegeenius]

thorough breakdown ,, so very appreciated,-- like lots of others,, i've been on the beta for a couple months, but literally skipped the browser because it just seemed more confusing to me- , this Here is .. Priceless - thank u

[@kamesound]

Thanks, cheers from Buenos Aires.

[@makeartnotcontent]

Another great example of online education done masterfully. Bravo 👏🏾

[@EARTH.HARMONY.SOUND.HEALING]

thank you !!

[@TigerGeorgeUK]

ah man i would have totally hit up your link for the discount, but i've already bought it. love your work, my guy

[@2Rock7]

I had this setup in my collections but I ran out of collection slots and adding new plugins became work. I will 💯 add this to my work flow

[@babybrown4289]

Excellent. Thanks!

[@remyvegamedia]

I haven't installed my Live 12 update yet, but I'm definitely not opposed to these browser changes. I don't know, man. I've learned not to sweat the small stuff with workflow changes. It has helped reduce my stress in endless feature comparisons between DAWs, hardware, instruments, plugins, etc. This video is ridiculously helpful in preparing me for the change. Thanks, as always.

[@CrisPearson]

This is a good philosophy.

[@remyvegamedia]

@@CrisPearson After a lot of trial and error... and spending more money than necessary looking for perfection haha.

[@CrisPearson]

@@remyvegamedia hahah. Can relate :)

[@SeedtoStage]

This is definitely the way. You can really tell how this has disturbed some folks’ normal workflow routine. I too was at first glance rather thrown off but then I allowed my mind to wrap itself around the new system and realized how much time it was going to save me in the long run was well worth the time setting it up.

[@remyvegamedia]

@@SeedtoStage Yeah that big picture sort of struck me as I thought about it. It's a very "Windows/Linux" approach for us Mac Users. I'm also only coming up to 2 years with Ableton, so I'm not set in my ways haha.

[@roccsterx]

Great vid as always, really helped me get the info I needed about the explorer! Do you have anything about that Ultimate Drum Generator you teased in the video? Looks dope as F ;)

[@AnnaSibirskaja]

Wow, it is like magic. Clap - bam 😮

[@maddsoul]

Bruh! Thanks! Just thanks!

[@Zdrewe]

I thought that Live 12 browser is such a mess (as you said). Now it makes more sense 🙏

[@Digipaxx]

Oh, man thank you, this Video is pure Gold!!! I didn't like the new Browser, becouse i have another work Flow. But your Video hase shown me a better way, big ups, thank you :)

[@SeedtoStage]

Even I was a bit overwhelmed at first. I think the new browser hits the hardest at the Ableton veterans because it changes how we did things dramatically. So long as you take the time to retrain yourself, its A LOT BETTER imo.

[@daddelpaj]

Awesome

[@StanAllDay]

Nice one, looking forward to 12. Lots of quality of life improvements. ps. you don't have to click the search rectangle before cmd f. Just press cmd f and type. You can use arrows and enter to explore and load to current track. Big ups!

[@SeedtoStage]

yeah for sure! its just folks get lost if the mouse doesnt guide the eye ha! Love good ol cmd F

[@VentureNW]

Good tips. I was a bit ticked off, why they didn't add more than 7 choices to collections, but this actually helps. Thank you

[@Rhekluse]

It seems like the new Search & Filter systems have somewhat made the Collections section obsolete for overall organization. Library folders is definitely the move. Great video! Very clear & concise. Thanks man. EDIT: If you right-click on the Filter bar you can pick & choose which filter categories you want displayed.

[@lowkeylee]

the harmonic series tee is rad

[@TommyRarivoson]

Thanks for this vid. It really helps. Where can i find the ultimate 4 drumrack? SOunds interesting

[@pleggli]

The label system has a lot of promise but it is probably also the feature that needs most work of all the Live 12 stuff to become really powerful. I hope Live 12.1 will have workflow improvements for working with the tags.

[@SeedtoStage]

I'm holding out that they figure out how to auto tag at least the drum samples in your library. If they went through the trouble of indexing samples for the sound similarity search feature, how much farther of a stretch would it be to at least organize my cowbells?????

[@fritsvanzanten3573]

Wouldn't it be easier when 1) The search box would be right above the 'filters'? Now it's to far too the left, without a necessary reason (AFAIK), making it 'unconnected'. 2) We'd be ablele to just fold in/out (collapse) these three; collections, library, places? I used the colors to groups synths, piano;s etc.

[@EvgeniiNeumerzhitckii]

I like how your mic sounds.

[@ed_ms]

Great tips! Can you add a saved search to a collection, and then hide the initial saved search in the library?

[@ob1quixote]

I wonder if there will be a way to transfer the tags out of existing sample manager plug-ins? I would really love to get all that under one roof, so to speak.

[@davida1467]

this definitely helps....but i still think this new browser is a mess. after using the beta for over a month before this release, i just don't see the value (and i probably just don't have the patience) to go through the long list of various plugins & 3rd party stuff that i have. i understand the flexibility this may give, but i think there's users like myself that just want things to work without having to fully customize things & this simply doesn't do that.

[@LowercaseDB]

I'm devastated about the new browser, I spent lots of time trying to get my head around it and I still hate it SO MUCH. all I want is my folder view back. hopefully Abelton will listen and have it as an option in future

[@wasabi333]

It's because it's shit.

[@vizmar]

It should be noticed that this kind of "saved search" is live. It means if you search a custom tag, save the search to a sidebar, for instance "favorite plugins", then later you add another things onto this tag you searched, your saved search will list the updated stuff to. So it doesn't save "snapshot" of a search, it searching live as you open it. Good overview, i was wondering when someone make a video about that. Good it was you.

[@3danR]

It doesn't update for me 🤔 I just see the original saved search, regardless if I add that tag to new items.

[@vizmar]

@@3danR Just checked this and it works like it should. I have created new Tag group "My plugins", in that group then i've created new custom tag "example". I have selected few installed plugins and added that new tag to them. Then i've cleared all fiters in browser search and serched only by that custom tag and then saved by "+" button that custom search to a sidebar as shown on video, all new tag items are showing as expected after clicking on this sidebar saved search. I have installed new plugins and restarted Ableton. After scanning i have added my custom tag to that new plugins and then checked the previous saved sidebar saved search and the list have been updated with new installed and tagged plugins. So it works as it should prefectly. SO LONG FAVORITES! I would love to get custom colored tags so i can add colors to tagged items.

[@3danR]

@@vizmar You're absolutely right, I didn't realise you need to add the hashtag first! Yes coloured tags would mean no more Collections for me too.

[@truekasia12]

AU is great for logic, but for live vst seems to be much better option. Especially if You want to use Pigments sequencer for other plugins.

[@SideFlame]

Collections seems to work better than search folders for now. I have the Live 8 Compressor and I tagged it as a compressor but for some reason it doesn't show up when I save it as a search. It's definitely tagged as a compressor but it doesn't show up.

[@nicosauer7403]

Great stuff! Especially the save search part!! Does anyone know how to add the .vstpreset or .adg files from the user library to the saved searches? These are always missing :(

[@cowmilkbiz]

For apple silicon machines, would you recommend using vst3 or au2? I feel like I’ve consistently had less crashes with vst3 with my m2 pro chip

[@SeedtoStage]

I have stuck with the proprietary AU plugins because I'm on mac, the downside is if you're trying to collaborate with others who use windows machines, you have to bounce tracks with plugins. I have found au plugins to be stable and crash less but i imagine others have had different experiences. Would love to see a benchmark comparison.

[@feignit]

AU is only for logic, technically.

[@twisterwombat]

6:03 what is the benefit here over just searching "clap" or "kick"?

[@wethesame4203]

Great tutorial! I created some saved searches with my own categorisation, but somehow there are totally unrelated plugins in the saved searches. Guessing it is a bug, anyone else having that issue? Example: I have category for drum plugins, added some of faves like Battery 4, Drum rack, created a search for it, all good. Now when I go to the saved search there shows up all the m4l drum synths, plus Max audio instrument, Impulse, Meld and others. I double checked and they do not have my custom tag

[@Andri-Mar]

Which headphones are you using?

[@Septeemberpain]

🥳 first sorry had to , love your stuff though!

[@lostinart]

Will your classes be updated for 12 suite ?

[@SeedtoStage]

They already are and I'm adding to them weekly

[@lostinart]

@@SeedtoStage excellent!!!!! Well done sir!

[@graemethurman7254]

What's the benefit of saving searches and tags instead of creating groups in the collections section?

[@MichaGutkowski]

So saving filters is basically what collections have previously offered (the only benefit is that you can have more saved searches than collections) - still don't see a point in this feature.

[@Paradroidx]

Exactly

[@Paradroidx]

Rumor is that they are working on unlimited collections, because the tagging system isn't boding well with old and new user's. If tech support is being flooded with user's confused with the new browser setup, then i think they will definitely add either more, or infinite collections.

[@GFire303]

I downloaded the live 12 trial. I'm trying to set up my browser, from your video. I don't have the edit button like your showing in the video @ 2min in. Any idea? When I hover over the area nothing shows. FIX -I loaded up a project and it's showing now.

[@NeonSteve]

I'm having troubles saving instrument/fx racks into custom "folders" without it being put in a parent folder. IE. I made a FILTERS folder and all of my VST and Stock filters show but any filters I've made and saved as a rack are showing as AUDIO EFFECT RACK and I have to click the arrow to open that folder and show my preset. I'm hoping this is just me otherwise this is a huge clunky oversight on Abletons part

[@jpallatin]

Amazing browser! Honestly I don't know if I could ever return to previous Live browser.

[@SeedtoStage]

yeah me neither

[@wasabi333]

wtf?!

[@TannerByTheSea]

YOU JUST MADE MY TUESDAY TOOOOO AMAZING CMD+F!!!!! Dude, I’m totally gonna get signed up with your course! I was going to last Black Friday,-I’ve been kind of waiting for Ableton 12 - and I’ve been releasing a bunch of new music on spotty… Same name… I just been busy, but I’m totally gonna take all of your courses. Dude, you are the man!

[@mezatron]

Does anyone know anyway to re-organize the saved searches after you’ve made them in the sidebar? When I click on edit, it doesn’t give me the option to drag them around and re-order.

[@richiesantana7628]

wow thanks I really hate the new browser but this makes it useful.... Although its gonna be a day of just setting it up unfortunately..... kinda like the old browser simple.

[@SeedtoStage]

My thought is, perhaps a half day of setup, BUT the time saved if youre producing daily will be WEEKS saved in the future.

[@richiesantana7628]

@@SeedtoStage Yes thanks again took a few hours and set it up now its like I never left 11

[@Amellowfellow]

Just upgraded and many of my plugins are missing and it randomly removed color/collection tags from some of them (but not from other ones)...

[@soundsfortoday3623]

This is a question re Live 11. Is there a limit to number of folders you can have in Places? Have an exhaustive collection of Ghosthack folders which have been located there. Just recently have had major problems getting Ableton to recognize, accept and provide access to in that location. Any ideas what happened? Will be getting upgrade to 12 Standard. Hope this doesn't continue to happen. Is there somewhere else that these folders are supposed to be placed? This just started to happen mid January. You can access thru Explorer but that is a pain. Liked it before when you clicked on left and you had access in right column. Any thoughts are helpful. Thanks

[@traviswonder7848]

Seed to stage it seems my DAW is in reverse! when I do a hashtag search, it only shows abletons samples. When I do a regular search, my samples show up.

[@Dripment]

help, idk why but anything i drag into the sidebar doesnt work anymore. and if i try to rename a sample in the brower i also cannot do this anymore. anyone know whats going on???

[@msoundnomad]

why is this tag/filter stuff not avaiable on push3? or do i miss something?

[@SynapticMadness]

Some really solid tips in here, I did not know about the saved searches! However, the only thing bugging me about this feature is that if you, for example, tag an LFO preset, search for that tag, and save the search; it will not show you only the LFO preset under the saved search. It will group the LFO preset under the LFO device, which the old favorite system did not do. Does anyone know a way around this? Otherwise the tag system is really cool :)

[@SeedtoStage]

noticed this. Have you made a forum post in the beta program about that? Ill back you up!

[@SeedtoStage]

i actually made the request myself in the beta forum

[@SynapticMadness]

@@SeedtoStage Nice! I'll head there and upvote it :)

[@freddiespellsmusic]

👌🙏

[@fritsvanzanten3573]

One thing I'm struggling with is which drum kits are acoustic and which ones are electronic

[@osmancolak]

16:48 Algonaut Atlas 🙃

[@wizzy2600]

I have a question about search bar. In my case it does not work properly. When i type "eq" it shows me equalizers even without "eq" in name like TDR Nova, Balancer, but NOT smart eq (from sonible) Any ideas how to solve this?

[@SeedtoStage]

Need more info if you want help. Are you in Ableton 12 beta? Are you using hashtags? Have you tagged plugins?

[@wizzy2600]

@@SeedtoStage I already wrote to support of Ableton and sonible and hope they will help :) Anyway very good and informative video from you. I needed it because i have to clean things up in Ab 12 release :)

[@hasan7786]

I came to find out how to add subtags. I foudn the answer maybe a week ago, made a few tags with sub tags and now I forgot. Its something like Compressor:multiband or something liek that. If anyone knows, please reply.

[@AztechNation]

theres no plus button for me to put stuff on the side bar

[@eento06]

The worst thing in this browser is about the way it shows the stock plugin preset when swapping, it mixes the plugin’s preset with other devices sometimes! What a hell

[@snakedogman]

What still seems unfinished is that those saved searches appear in the left column in the order that you create them, don't order alphabetically and there's no way to re-order them. Personally I think they should also be in their own category apart from "library" or "places", or otherwise they belong more to "places" than library. There should be more customisation of that left hand column, being able to fold and unfold categories, order them how you want, add some dividers for better visual parsing etc.

[@SeedtoStage]

They just told me they are presently working on reordering functionality.

[@Paradroidx]

holy shit they damn well better. imagine new users, an old are flooding ts with emails 😂. They asked for it tho.

[@wasabi333]

Should we go back to 11, or what DAW next?

[@brucekai7462]

Sadly there is no way to add new plugins to your saved searches. I've got them set up in categories I use the most, If I haven't saved the search with that plugin there, I can't add new ones to the saved searches that sit in the sidebar.

[@arturoguii]

Let's cutsomies da broswer

[@Simbosan]

I can't see a use for Collections after this, the Homies tag is much more useful

[@etiennestehelin3171]

This is a great tutorial. I hate the new browser. Let me do things my way….stop forcing me to do it Ableton way😢

[@daccipucci631]

So far, all the new browser does is slow me down. After watching this video, I will give it another shot, but I am still pretty skeptic.

[@AntiGuru498]

Just here to say the old browser was better and more intuitive.

[@morecowbell2611]

Nah

[@AntiGuru498]

@@morecowbell2611To me it is, i actually went back to Ableton 10 because of it. Having to tag or memorize every single vst in order to get to it is bullsh*t, i prefer the old automatic folders by developer name, much easier to know where things are.

[@blellow]

WHY THERE IS NO ALL RESULTS OPTHION LIKE IN EARLY VERSIONS OF ABLEOTN

[@SeedtoStage]

there is an opthionnnn! cmd or cntrl + F

[@iqnill]

Now show us how this awesome browser allows you to rearrange your saved searches... or not.

[@traviswonder7848]

Did anyone else try to follow this tutorial, only to find that their samples have ALREADY been added to Abletons browser?

[@The_Invisible_Man]

Not convinced with this browser just give us a ableton native AES

[@stiffyBlicky]

this release has blows chunks, nothing worse than a disruption to my workflow. these upgrades should be kept simple, instead of complex if it's going to end up breaking everything.

[@wasabi333]

It's literally THAT SLOW.

[@lukearens2346]

this literally just adds clicks to an already dominant browser that effectively makes it worse

[@slpwrm]

machine learning is part of the field of AI

[@maw0380]

Manually tag all my samples? Nah...

[@wasabi333]

Thinking about leaving Live, really.. wtf.

[@LouisWeiser]

I really dislike the new browser

[@wasabi333]

It's complete shit.

[@BenjaminJBromley]

How is this an improvement on collections? Just a more complicated and less intuitive approach. 12 is major feature creep and UI overload… not enjoying it so far.

[@ChristianBoragine]

the new browser is just awful. rely almost exclusively on filters if bad UX.

[@wasabi333]

Live is fucked. It's like they took every BAD bit from Bitwig and applied it. WTF!!!